Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune ~ fragrance review

Posted by Angela on 2 January 2017 14 Comments

Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune brand image

Not every perfume is a groundbreaking work of art. It’s best that way. Some fragrances earn their keep as supporting characters — everyday auras that hum along and let you provide the personality. They’re flexible perfumes friendly to just about any situation, mood, or season. They’re “go tos” when you don’t want to think too much about a scent, but simply want to spritz one on and forget about it.

Perfumes I count on to fill this role include Guerlain Vol de Nuit, DelRae Mythique, Caron Nocturnes, Bois 1920 Sutra Ylang, and, to some extent, Chanel No. 5. If I had a bottle, Hermès Eau des Merveilles would join the line up. For someone who loves amber, Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune might be a solid choice for this kind of “aura” fragrance…

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L’Artisan Parfumeur Bucoliques de Provence ~ fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 21 December 2016 51 Comments

L’Artisan Parfumeur Bucoliques de Provence

L’Artisan Parfumeur was, once upon a time, one of my favorite niche brands. This was way back in the day when I could count my favorite niche brands on one hand, and probably could have listed all the niche brands on a piece of paper (remember paper?) while sipping a cup of tea. Times have changed — niche brands are so plentiful that niche has very nearly become a dirty word, and L’Artisan has changed owners and directions several times over. I don’t dislike them, but they are no longer the first brand that comes to mind when I think of my favorites.

Bucoliques de Provence, which launched this past spring, is the first fragrance in a projected series inspired by the different regions of France, and was the first to sport L’Artisan’s latest packaging design.¹ It sounded awfully nice…

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Nina Ricci Luna Blossom ~ new perfume

Posted by Robin on 19 December 2016 Leave a Comment

Nina Ricci Luna Blossom

Nina Ricci will launch Luna Blossom this week in duty free. Luna Blossom is a flanker to Luna, which was introduced earlier this year, and is styled as a “modern fruity floral fragrance tailored for Asian consumers”…

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Diptyque Kimonanthe ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 26 October 2016 23 Comments

Even the most jaded perfumistas like myself are not immune from the occasional jerky motion or drool as we read about a new fragrance. I’m sometimes brought out of the glazed-eye/nodding-off stage when a new perfume is by a house I love and a perfumer I admire, has a great list of notes and a well-done backstory. Diptyque Kimonanthe, the newest fragrance in the La Collection 34 series, sparked desire (and hope) for all these reasons.

Diptyque provided me with some of my earliest (and greatest) niche perfume experiences: I’ve owned (or own) L’Eau Trois, L’Ombre dans L’Eau, Olène, Ofrésia, Oud Palao, Tam Dao, Philosykos, Oyédo, Eau d’Elide, Eau Lente, Jardin Clos, L’Autre, L’Eau and Virgilio. I won’t even mention countless candles and gallons of Essence of John Galliano room spray…

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